South Korea Proposes 15–20% Ownership Cap for Major Crypto Exchanges
South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) unveiled proposals requiring the country's four largest crypto exchanges — Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone and Korbit — to lower controlling ownership stakes to roughly 15–20%. The measure is framed as a governance reform to curb excessive concentration, limit conflicts of interest, and boost oversight of exchange operations.
If adopted, the rules could trigger share sales, corporate restructuring or new disclosure requirements, creating short-term uncertainty for markets and management teams. Regulators say the change aims to strengthen investor protection and market integrity, but exchanges and shareholders may push back or seek transitional arrangements, making the implementation timeline and market impact the key developments to watch next.